Chapter 220

Yangjiao Lantern Alley, the main house of Sihe Academy still had lights on.

Old Yan looked at the wall clock: "Don't wait anymore—it's nearly twelve. That kid won't be coming back."

"Call him and make him come home."

Zhang Hong felt stifled: "We never cleared up today's matter, and we agreed he wouldn't stay overnight—I vouched for him. If we break our word, how can we face people?"

She preferred Dong Xuan; Yan Li had sent Fan Xiaopang away, so Zhang Hong assumed Fan Xiaopang had kept him.

Not only did she defend Dong Xuan, she also held a grudge against Fan Xiaopang, feeling he had deliberately undermined her.

Yan's grandmother glanced at her daughter-in-law and stopped her son: "Maybe he has other matters. The child is grown, has his own mind—elders should interfere less."

Old Yan had no intention of calling; he didn't know what his son was up to right now—it could get awkward.

The aunt didn't care whether Yan Li came back, but she was curious about one thing.

"Mom, Brother Two, Sister-in-Law—today's two girls, which one do you think suits him better?"

Zhang Hong instinctively met Yan's grandmother's gaze, then spoke first.

"I think Dong Xuan is good—quiet, has been with Xiao Li for a long time, and she's a university teacher."

Yan's grandmother disagreed: "I think Bingbing is better."

"Mom, you don't even watch the news—you don't know this girl isn't peaceful. If you bring her into the family, trouble will never end."

Since they were family, Zhang Hong didn't hide her feelings—she voiced her opinion of Fan Xiaopang outright.

At the same time, Zhang Hong pointed out that Yan's grandmother's favor toward Fan Xiaopang might be misled by his performance today, yet the old lady couldn't read and never watched entertainment news, so she didn't understand Fan Xiaopang's full picture.

"You're just worried you can't control this daughter-in-law, so you want a meek one."

Yan's grandmother didn't hold back—she directly exposed Zhang Hong's hidden motives.

She had been a mother-in-law herself, with three daughters-in-law—how could she not understand Zhang Hong's petty calculations?

Zhang Hong had only one son, cared deeply about him, and being a rural woman with no talent or cunning, she naturally feared a strong-willed daughter-in-law who might dominate her.

Compared to Fan Xiaopang's assertive, flamboyant demeanor, Dong Xuan's every behavior matched her ideal 【daughter-in-law template】.

Zhang Hong bristled at Yan's grandmother's words: "What do you mean by that? I'm thinking of Yan Li—he's busy with his career every day; wouldn't you rather find him a gentle, well-behaved wife than a troublemaker?"

"Precisely because he's building a career, he needs a woman who can handle things."

Yan's grandmother raised her voice: "My grandson is accomplished—he's destined for great things. Don't impose petty household thinking on him."

"He's in the midst of building his empire—he needs a capable woman behind him, someone who can stand by him in critical moments, hold him back when he acts impulsively. Yan Li is young and headstrong; if trouble arises, he needs someone who can rein him in. Dong Xuan is too soft. Bingbing can."

"Who's petty? A couple can only have one strong-willed person—if both are stubborn, the house will be in chaos every day."

"Having a will is better than having none—and willpower comes in big and small forms. Look at today's scene—do you really think my grandson can't handle her?"

Each held firm to their own view, each with their own logic. After discussing temperament and how each girl could help Yan Li, they drifted into talking about appearance and physique.

"Dong Xuan is well-proportioned, fair and clean-looking—clearly a proper girl."

"Bingbing is beautiful—men love beauty. Think more about Yan Li. Besides, this girl is tall, well-built, with a wide hips—clearly capable of bearing sons."

"Dong Xuan isn't short either—slim waist, wide hips, her figure is excellent."

"..."

Old Yan couldn't take it anymore—he was still here, and they'd drifted to this?

"No matter how loudly you two argue, it's useless. Who decides whether Yan Li chooses one or the other? You two?"

"I'm his mother—I should have a say."

Zhang Hong blurted it out, but she knew deep down.

Her son was no longer the boy he used to be—he was now the pillar and backbone of the whole family.

As his mother, she could voice her opinion on whom he married, but the final decision rested with Yan Li.

Even if Yan Li hadn't succeeded—if he were poor and they'd paid for the house himself—she still couldn't force him to marry someone he didn't want.

Unable to deal with her son, Zhang Hong turned on Old Yan: "Look what your good son has become—unruly as a child, even more so now."

Yan's grandmother bristled at her daughter-in-law's words about her son and beloved grandson.

"Isn't Yan Li your son? Why don't you think about how you've been a mother?"

"Besides, how is my grandson unruly? If he were obedient, you'd never live in this 6-million-yuan Beijing house."

Zhang Hong snapped—her mother-in-law's words stabbed straight to her heart. She'd held back so far, but now it was endless?

"I'm his mother—what's wrong with scolding him? Now you play the good grandmother? When I gave birth to Yan Li, I was confined and couldn't even eat an egg without you complaining?"

"..."

Watching the bickering mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Old Yan could only step in to soothe them, silently cursing Yan Li to high heaven.

That little brat is cuddling his girlfriend somewhere, sleeping soundly, leaving me to take the heat.

These two hadn't fought in years back home—now they're clashing the moment they come to Beijing. That little brat kept saying he brought them here for a good life—good life? His grandmother… his mother… what a damn joke…

…

Beiying Community, bedroom

Dong Xuan was asleep; Yan Li was waiting for the midnight intelligence update—he needed to see what everyone was thinking, to prepare accordingly.

At the appointed time, the intelligence refreshed on schedule. Yan Li kept shaking his head as he read.

What a mess!

Everyone had their own thoughts, their own agendas. Yan Li skimmed a few entries and saw the overall situation was still under control, so he set it aside.

Having gained the intelligence system and excelling at "parsing" human motives, Yan Li increasingly understood the saying: "No one is truly saintly in heart." Understandable. Observable. But never take it too seriously.

Yet one piece of intelligence surprised him slightly.

Fan Xiaopang had held something back from him.

She had indeed learned the news from Hu Ya's administrative staff, but finding Yangjiao Lantern Alley wasn't deduced from Yan Li's scattered remarks.

Yan Li had said similar things before—but he'd said many things.

Extracting two key elements from a flood of information and connecting them—that's a skill even professional intelligence officers might lack; Fan Xiaopang was simply reverse-engineering from the correct answer, so of course she got it right every time.

As for Fan Xiaopang's source, it was Yan Xin's girlfriend.

Yan Xin, this cousin of his, because of his status and Yan Li's trust, became a target of outreach from Dong, Fan, and Qin factions—but Fan achieved the most noticeable results.

She failed to win over Yan Xin, but she won over his girlfriend, who was essentially her fan; Fan Xiaopang was generous with gifts, and they built a solid relationship.

When Fan Xiaopang learned Yan Li's family had arrived in Jingcheng, she immediately realized Yan Xin might be an insider, so she tried to obtain information through his girlfriend.

During Yan Li's interrogation, she hesitantly revealed Zheng Xing—but it was a sacrifice to protect the top undercover agent.

"It's all sieves."

Yan Li shook his head, but he could understand it; professional institutions were riddled with infiltration, let alone everyone around him being ordinary people.

Security measures were limited, and the target was someone like Fan Xiaopang—a close person—so vigilance and resistance dropped instinctively.

In fact, Yan Xin's girlfriend might have deliberately done it, using this chance to curry favor with Fan Xiaopang for her own or Yan Xin's benefit.

As always, there's no 100% loyalty or devotion; everyone has their own interests. Yan Li had the system, but it only let him know—he couldn't control it.

But betrayal is betrayal.

Revealing his parents' address to Fan Xiaopang wasn't a big deal—but what if one day he revealed it to his enemies?

Or what if some other critical matter was leaked to a rival, causing his entire plan to collapse?

Yan Li built his power on intelligence; he knew how deadly this stuff was. Previously, he was too busy and hadn't suffered losses, so he hadn't taken this seriously enough. He needed to reorganize his team—especially tightening the lips of those close to him.

He'd have to speak separately with Hu Ya and Yan Xin; though neither meant harm, they couldn't escape responsibility.

Zheng Xing wouldn't be kept; as for Yan Xin's girlfriend, given their kinship, she'd get one chance.

If Yan Xin can keep her in line, good—no repeat offenses. If he can't, either break up, or let the two of them go off and live like wild lovers.

Yan Li was willing to help his brothers get rich so they'd help him get things done—not to drag him down or cause him trouble.

He could give chances for mistakes, but if someone persisted in their folly and couldn't tell right from wrong, he wasn't short of cousins.

And Fan Xiaopang too!

Yan Li had higher tolerance for his women—beyond emotional ties, he felt they tacitly accepted his womanizing and tolerated him deeply, so he should occasionally give them face.

But Fan Xiaopang had been too bold this time, playing deception with him; if he didn't crush her arrogance now, who knew how reckless she'd become later.

After thinking it over, Yan Li composed a few text messages and sent them.

The next day, Fan Xiaopang, who had planned to return to Yangjiao Deng Hutong to show her face, was urgently recalled by the "Mo Gong" production crew.

With no choice, Fan Xiaopang left Jingcheng first—but upon arriving in Yixian, before she'd even applied her makeup, she heard bad news.

The administrative who gave her the tip had been fired!

And Hu Ya, the Imperial Court's Seal Keeper, was reportedly scolded severely by Yan Li for "work errors," received a formal reprimand, had her bonus docked, and had part of her duties reassigned to others.

The bonus cuts and reprimands were trivial; losing the Emperor's favor and being stripped of authority were deadly.

Hu Ya thrived in Yian, with deputy directors and chief supervisors all giving her face—she relied entirely on Yan Li's trust.

Fan Xiaopang could already imagine how Hu Ya would feel if she learned it was because of her that Hu Ya suffered this unjust punishment.

"…"

Hu Ya could still be salvaged; Fan Xiaopang first sent someone to comfort and compensate the fired administrator.

Since he was fired because of her, she had to handle it properly—otherwise, who would follow her in the future?

But Fan Xiaopang didn't understand why Yan Li reacted so fiercely.

He fired the administrator without hesitation, and publicly punished Hu Ya—it was clearly meant for her to see.

But last night everything was fine; if Yan Li had been truly furious yesterday, he wouldn't have soothed her and gone upstairs with her—that's not his style. Something was off.

Fan Xiaopang racked her brain but couldn't figure it out—then she heard another thunderclap.

Because she'd left for filming without notice, she'd sent an assistant to Yangjiao Deng Hutong to deliver gifts as an apology—and the assistant told her he'd seen Qin Lan with his own eyes inside Sihe Academy.

"…"

Fan Xiaopang couldn't sit still.

Something was definitely wrong; she and Dong Xuan had just left, and now Qin Lan was immediately brought in—this was clearly a message of displeasure toward her or Dong Xuan.

"Without you two, I've got others!"

Considering her sudden transfer to the production crew and the administrator's firing, Fan Xiaopang strongly suspected Yan Li was targeting her.

But why?!

Fan Xiaopang went straight to the director and requested another leave, planning to return to Jingcheng and confront Yan Li.

But the director refused; she'd taken leave yesterday, and now again? Was the crew her family business? In the end, they compromised: shoot first, finish as early as possible, then let her go.

…

Yangjiao Deng Hutong

Watching Qin Lan chat warmly with Tong Zhang Hong, Old Yan stared at Yan Li, hesitated, then finally blurted out:

"I'm telling you—this is the last one. If there's another, your mother and I will pack up and go back to the countryside."

"Don't worry."

Yan Li knew Old Yan had it hard; the blood mark from a recent slap still lingered on his ear. He patted his father's arm.

"I have a friend who's a council member of the China Culinary Association. I'll introduce you to him—get you a membership."

"The China Culinary Association? The national-level one?"

Old Yan's eyes lit up. He was just a country cook—he never dreamed of becoming a master chef or top-class chef—but joining the China Culinary Association? He could brag back home.

Even though his son Yan Li was now powerful and gave him plenty of bragging material, nothing beat bragging about himself.

"Good son, don't worry about your mother or grandmother—I've got your back. I'm still the head of this family."

Old Yan thumped his chest loudly.

He wasn't boasting; back then, the household relied on his income—he was the one whose word carried the most weight.

These past two years, Zhang Hong, emboldened by her son, had grown increasingly dismissive of him, but at critical moments, Old Yan still retained some residual authority.

Because Yan Li had matters to attend to in the afternoon and feared Qin Lan would feel out of place alone, they had lunch together and then left.

On the way, Qin Lan remained troubled: "I feel your mom and your grandma aren't particularly warm toward me."

"Things get familiar with time."

Yan Li offered casual reassurance, but Qin Lan wasn't easily fooled: "What's not familiar? I just came late—the Dong girl and the Fan boy got there first and won over your mom and grandma."

"This isn't my fault—I said nothing. It was Yan Xin's girlfriend who leaked the info."

"I rushed to bring you here to meet Grandma and Mom to make amends, precisely because I didn't want you to overthink it—and now you blame me? How ungrateful."

Yan Li held the steering wheel and dumped all blame onto Yan Xin's girlfriend.

You wanted to pick a side, didn't you?

Then pick more thoroughly: in Dong Xuan's and Qin Lan's eyes, Fan Xiaopang and the other girl both got the info from her—Yan Li is "innocent."

Whether they believe it or not doesn't matter—as long as the blame isn't aimed at Yan Li, the blame is firmly his to bear, and that's the price of her petty cleverness.

Seeing Qin Lan still deeply worried, and considering she truly learned last and had been at a disadvantage, Yan Li thought for a moment and spoke.

"I'll tell you a secret only you know."

"Go on."

"My mom and grandma… aren't on good terms. Getting too close to either one risks trouble. Your late arrival has an advantage—you can avoid this landmine."

Qin Lan's eyes lit up; she understood Yan Li's implication: "They stepped on it?"

Yan Li didn't answer, only said: "Now you see how good I am? Kiss me."

"Good for nothing."

Qin Lan wasn't stupid; she glared at him: "Two peaches kill three warriors. What landmine or not—you're just watching us fight, flattering your family, and enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

"Look, if I don't take you to meet my parents, you'll throw a fit later; if I do take you, you think I'm hiding to laugh at you."

Yan Li looked wounded: "If you're uncomfortable, then we won't go to Yangjiao Deng Hutong anymore—I'll say you're on a business trip."

"Why not go? If I don't go, your whole family will be won over by the Dong girl and Fan Xiaopang."

Qin Lan refused to back down. Though she saw Yan Li wasn't up to anything good, the situation was what it was—unless she was willing to quit, she had to fight.

"Exactly. I don't want to see you two fight—you're awkward, I'm uncomfortable, and our families are tense. It's all Yan Xin's fault—I'll give him a proper beating later."

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding Qin Lan's, Yan Li spoke softly.

"If you want to show effort, show it; if not, just put on a show. After all, the family backs me—just make sure they don't dislike you."

Qin Lan felt warmth in her chest, then asked: "Who else have you said this to?"

"Look at you."

Yan Li was speechless: "I dropped my work, spent the whole morning with you meeting my parents—ask them if those two from yesterday got this treatment."

"I just asked out of curiosity."

Seeing Yan Li upset, Qin Lan gripped his hand and pleaded softly: "Don't be mad—I'm sorry, okay?"

"Say 'I'm sorry.'"

Qin Lan took a deep breath: "... I'm sorry."

Yan Li glanced at her, ruffled her hair: "Fine. If you want, I'll arrange for you to take them around Jingcheng."

"My mom and grandma are easy to please—flatter them, show you truly care for me, buy them gifts, and they'll treat you like family."

Qin Lan nodded eagerly, but still had one concern: "If I don't pick a side, won't they team up and exclude me?"

Picking a side might offend the other; not picking a side might mean benefiting from both—or offending both.

"That depends on your skill. If all else fails, just play dumb—you don't even need to act, you're already dumb. Dummies get more leeway."

"You're the dummy."

Qin Lan pinched Yan Li's hukou, then began carefully planning how to proceed—and what to do if things went wrong.

Yan Li drove Qin Lan back to Guanghua Li, where she brought up moving.

The house in Shuangjing Fuli City was fully renovated and had been ventilated long enough to be habitable.

Qin Lan had mentioned moving before, but had waited for Yan Li's return to Jingcheng. Now that he was back, it was time to set a date.

"Fine, you decide."

Yan Li had no objection. Though the Guanghua Li apartment was nice and held memories, it was an old neighborhood with limited space.

The Fuli City place was larger and more luxurious—if there was a better home, they might as well enjoy it.

Not only Qin Lan's Fuli City unit, but also the house he and Dong Xuan bought was now ready for occupancy.

But due to work, Dong Xuan preferred living near Beidian, in the Beiying Xiaoqu, and had long delayed mentioning moving.

After Qin Lan left, before returning to the company, Yan Li went to Beiying Xiaoqu and told Dong Xuan, who was home on leave, the "truth" he'd uncovered.

"... It was all Yan Xin's girlfriend's doing... Qin Lan went too... I didn't want you two to fight... If you want to show effort, show it; if not, just put on a show... I'll tell you a little secret—my mom really likes you..."

"... This time I didn't think it through. I wanted you to appear before my family... It's all Yan Xin's fault—I'll give him a proper beating... Yeah, take them out, buy them gifts... You've been put out..."

"..."

Leaving Beiying Xiaoqu, Yan Li went to a business building for a meeting—it was the headquarters of Yi'an Cinema Chain.

Yi'an Cinema Chain had now completed its name change, most procedures were settled, and the first batch of theater locations were largely finalized.

It was time to make a public appearance!

After reviewing the work and the press conference process, Yan Li attended another social engagement.

When everything was done, Yan Li returned to Yangjiao Deng Hutong. As soon as he entered, he saw Fan Xiaopang sitting there with tear-filled eyes, while Yan's grandmother and Zhang Hong comforted him.

Frowning, Yan Li turned to his father: "What's going on?"

"I don't know. He burst into tears the moment he came in, said he upset you, wouldn't say how, wouldn't let us call you, said he's waiting for you to apologize."

"Come here."

Yan Li glanced at Fan Xiaopang and called her to the bedroom in the east annex where he stayed.

Fan Xiaopang had none of her usual arrogance; even after entering, she kept crying, and Yan Li's head throbbed.

"Enough already. That act works on my mom and the others—it doesn't work on me."

"I… I wasn't faking."

Fan Xiaopang's tears fell with a plop-plop, and she sniffled: "I know I messed up. When you get angry, I'm scared you'll ignore me, so I came to find you."

"And I didn't mean to show up at your parents' place. Your phone was unreachable, your texts went unanswered, and I didn't know where you'd gone—I could only come here and hope for luck."

"Stop crying first."

Yan Li was truly worn out—these women had all figured out his weakness.

Dong Xuan cried when things went wrong; Qin Lan was even more watery, her tears flowing like they cost nothing.

Fan Xiaopang was once the toughest-tempered among them, yet now she'd learned this trick too—and mastered it perfectly.

After all, she came from Qiongyao's school—she knew how to cry on cue!

Fan Xiaopang had cried for Yan Li before; beautiful, yes, but fake. This time, whether she'd practiced hard or truly felt it, her emotional impact had skyrocketed.

Fan Xiaopang's crying still carried her own flavor—grief and hurt laced with stubbornness, and it was precisely that stubbornness that stirred even greater pity.

A thorny rose that refuses to bend under storm and rain won't wet its petals unless it's broken beyond endurance.

Yan Li held back for a long while, but couldn't resist handing her a tissue, then scolded:

"Stop crying."

"Oh."

Fan Xiaopang looked at him pitifully, bit her lower lip to stifle her sobs, and Yan Li's temples throbbed.

A tiger turned into a bunny—who could handle that?!

Forcing himself to calm down, Yan Li stared at Fan Xiaopang with a blank expression: "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Fan Xiaopang shook her head: "But I definitely messed up—otherwise you wouldn't have deliberately embarrassed me just to make me realize it."

"You didn't need to do that. Just tell me directly—I'll listen to you."

Yan Li snorted. He knew Fan Xiaopang well—unless he embarrassed her once and showed her the consequences, she wouldn't truly take it to heart.

Like now—she came groveling to apologize, not because she knew she was wrong, but because she was afraid.

"Was the address of this courtyard really something you discovered yourself?"

Yan Li reminded her, and Fan Xiaopang finally understood—her heart sank with regret. One wrong thought: she should've confessed yesterday.

If she'd come to Yan Li's parents yesterday, she could've blamed it on him not telling her they'd come to Beijing.

But her arranging of a spy was a sensitive matter—even if others weren't without their own tricks.

Yesterday, using her and Dong Xuan's reputations, Yan Li had been guilty and vague, and she'd gotten away with it.

But she'd kept one card hidden—and Yan Li had caught her red-handed, then used it to settle old scores. She had no reply.

"I was wrong."

Fan Xiaopang didn't play the fool—she owned up, even defended Yan Xin's girlfriend, saying the girl had been tricked into talking, and begged Yan Li not to harass her.

"You're loyal."

Yan Li laughed bitterly—he'd seen right through her. The moment she learned the reason, realized he'd only meant to warn her, she'd visibly relaxed.

Sensing she'd revealed too much, Fan Xiaopang quickly tried to fix it, stepping forward to cling to Yan Li's arm and sway it gently.

"Don't be mad. It's my fault—but I only did it because I care about you…"

This phrasing felt familiar?!

Yan Li froze—wasn't this his own usual tactic? This little vixen was throwing his own boomerang back at him.

"Don't pull that crap."

Yan Li wouldn't fall for his own trick—he stated her punishment clearly: "For the next few days, you'll stay quietly in Yi County filming. My family has company."

"Fine, no problem—as long as you're satisfied, I'll do anything."

Fan Xiaopang agreed instantly, and Yan Li felt dazed.

Looking at her devastatingly beautiful face, he thought: if she kept being this obedient, helped his career, and mended ties with his family, Dong and Qin might truly be no match for her.

But soon, Fan Xiaopang proved she was still the same troublesome fox spirit.

"I know I was wrong, but you can't keep me hidden forever. How about tomorrow or the day after—I'll free up time and take Grandma and your uncle and aunt out to dinner?"

Yan Li hesitated. Fan Xiaopang tugged at him, cooing and pouting—eventually, he nodded.

"Then you come too. We'll eat together."

Fan Xiaopang seized the chance. Since he'd agreed to dinner, she dropped the pretense and nodded eagerly.

Watching Fan Xiaopang happily studying restaurant menus, Yan Li couldn't help asking:

"Does treating me this way feel unfair to you?"

After all, she was a top star—there were plenty of wealthy second-generation heirs and businessmen chasing her, some even richer than Yan Li.

Of course, overall, Yan Li still stood out; the others all had their own flaws.

But overall, Fan Xiaopang had more options—why endure the grievance and cling to just one tree?

Fan Xiaopang glanced at Yan Li, and for the first time, showed her old self: "I want to. What's it to you?"

"Mm. This version suits you better."

Yan Li nodded. Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes: "You're such a sadist—when I'm sweet to you, you hate it; when I snap back, you're happy."

"I'm happy. What's it to you?"

Yan Li threw her own words back at her. Fan Xiaopang pouted.

After a while, the main house grew concerned and Old Yan knocked on the door to check in.

The two stepped out. Fan Xiaopang explained it was a small misunderstanding—now resolved.

Zhang Hong still wasn't convinced, quietly asking Yan Li what was going on; only after hearing from his mouth that it wasn't serious did she relax.

Fan Xiaopang stayed for a meal with the family, tasting Yan's cooking for the first time, and showered him with so many compliments that Yan laughed harder than Maitreya Buddha.

After eating, they gathered to chat for a while; Fan Xiaopang glanced at her phone and whispered to Yan Li.

"I should head back—tomorrow I have a shoot."

"Head back?"

Yan Li froze. This girl had come crying and pouting, soothing him, and now that his anger had faded, his irritation had brewed—yet she was trying to slip away.

"Fine, I'll see you off."

Yan Li thought this in his heart, said nothing aloud, and stood up to escort Fan Xiaopang out.

This time, Fan Xiaopang was stunned: "You're really seeing me off?"

"Of course I am."

Fan Xiaopang slowed her steps: "Isn't it too late? The road isn't safe. Earlier, when I went to that east annex, I felt it was chilly—old houses like this always have stories. Are you sure you'll be fine alone?"

Good grief, she's bringing out ghost stories now!

Yan Li smiled sweetly: "Don't worry about me. If things get bad, I'll just go find Dong Xuan or Qin Lan to keep me company for the night."

"Keep you company…"

Fan Xiaopang glanced at Yan Li's family, who were secretly watching them, then smiled brightly and raised her voice.

"You're right—it really isn't safe. Let's go tomorrow morning. You've been busy all day; let me fetch some water to soak your feet and help you relax."

Saying this, Fan Xiaopang rolled up her sleeves to fetch water for Yan Li. Yan Li turned to look at his family, sat on the sofa, and slowly crossed his legs.

Yan couldn't resist glancing at Zhang Hong, who glared at him.

Fetch water for foot soaking?

Should I mix DDT with rat poison and brew you a cup of tea to whet your appetite?

But Yan's grandmother nodded at her grandson: "This girl came to apologize—don't make a big deal out of it. Don't put on airs; it only cools people's hearts."

"Go to your room. Let her bring the water—you two wash together. Women need to be coddled a bit; only then will they willingly listen to you."

"Understood."

Yan Li nodded, called out, and went to the east annex. Zhang Hong, seeing her son leave, turned to the old lady.

"You know everything—why teach the grandson but not your son?"

Yan's grandmother looked at her and old Yan: "Coddle only those you can control. If you can't control them, the more you coddle, the more they push back."

Zhang Hong: "..."

Old Yan: "..."

————

The next day, Fan Xiaopang returned to Yixian first, then rushed back to Jingcheng that evening to formally host Yan Li's entire family at an upscale restaurant.

On the third and fourth days, Dong Xuan came to visit and took the Yan family to tour the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Temple of Heaven Park.

After a day's rest, Qin Lan came by and took the Yan family to Badaling Great Wall, then showed them the still-under-construction Olympic venues.

Yan's grandmother and Zhang Hong had a wonderful time; Xiao Sheng, however, felt both happy and bitter.

Look at Second Sister-in-law Zhang Hong—three daughters-in-law accompanying her for meals and outings, attending to every detail, treating her like an empress.

Now look at herself—Yan Xin, that little brat, kept bragging about his girlfriend with a Jingcheng hukou, how wonderful she was, yet even getting her to meet them took half a day.

When they finally met, she was warmer and more respectful to Second Sister-in-law than to her own mother-in-law.

She wondered: they're all Yan family blood—how could the difference be so great?

(End of Chapter)